Supporters of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) pushed their
case further yesterday at the Senate, with startling facts on the sector.
Enang, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules
and Business, said that those opposed to the fund should know that over 83 per
cent of oil blocs are owned by northerners.
But he did not give the number of oil blocs Nigeria has.
Senator David Mark, who seemed to have been shocked by what
Enang said, said the Akwa Ibom lawmaker should not be distracted (some senators
were grumbling) because he was making an important point.Mark asked Enang
whether he could substantiate his claim.
Enang promptly pulled out a document from his folder and
reeled out oil blocs and their owners.
He said he did not intend to divide the country but to guide
those who wanted to contribute to the debate to be truly informed.
He listed northerners who own oil blocks to include ;
Alhaji
Mai Deribe, Borno State and owner of Cavendish Petroleum, which operates OML
110 with an average of about N4billion monthly.
He also listed Seplat/Platform Petroleum, operators of the
ASUOKPU/UMUTU Marginal Field with Mallam (Prince) Sanusi Lamido, Kano , as a
major shareholder and director.
South Atlantic Petroleum Limited (SAPETRO) established by
General T. Y. Danjuma, Taraba State , who is also chairman of Eni Nigeria
Limited.
AMNI International Petroleum and Development Company is
owned by Alhaji (Colonel) Sani Bello of Kontangora , Niger State.“They are operators of OML 112 and OML 117,” he said.
He said that a former Petroleum Minister and former OPEC
Chairman, Rilwanu Lukman, another northerner manages AMNI oil blocs “with very
key interest in the NNPC/Vitol trading deal.”
He said that Oriental Energy Resources Limited, a company
owned by Alhaji Indimi, runs three oil blocks – OML 115, the Oldwok field and
the Ebok field.
Enang said that OML 113 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo
Petroleum Limited is owned by Alhaji W.I.
Folawiyo. Alhaji Saleh Mohammed
Gambo, North East Petroleum Limited, is the holder of the OPL 215 Licence.
North East Petroleum was awarded blocs OPL 276 and OPL 283
and closing thereupon a Joint Venture Agreement with Centrica Resources Nigeria
Limited and CCC Oil and Gas.
He said that INTEL is owned by former Vice President Atiku,
the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Ado Bayero. It has substantial stakes in
Nigeria ’s oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe.
He said that Mike Adenuga’s Conoil is the oldest indigenous
oil exploration company with six blocks. OPL 291 was awarded to Starcrest
Energy Nigeria Limited, owned by Emeka Offor, which was sold to Addax
Petroleum.
Enang urged the Senate to cause the immediate revocation of
all oil blocks licences and their redistribution, in accordance with the
Federal Character Principle.
He said: “My submission is that when you look at the
distribution of those who own oil blocs and the amount of money that comes
from the different oil blocs to the Federation Account and you see the owners
of these oil blocs, you will agree with me that there is inequity in the
distribution of oil blocs.
“Almost nothing for the Southsouth, Niger Delta oil
producing areas.
“They are quarreling with the area that takes just 13 per
cent when you are producing the entire 100 per cent, you give some to the
Federation Account and they give only 13 per cent of what you give and, of
course, it is whatever you declared that you have produced. It is actually
produced by you.
“I did not want to introduce something that is divisive.
“It is not intended to divide the country, it is intended to
say ‘look, let us be realistic’.
My lips are sealed on this.
My lips are sealed on this.
No comments:
Post a Comment